Chair.



No. 633,948. YPanama sprzs,v |899.

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CHIR.

Applienon Blad my 24. 1599,-y

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. UNITED STATES PATENT OlniIcE.

DON J. EIGELOW, or MEDINA, NEW YORK, Assienon To s. A. COOK te co., OF SAME PLACE.

' CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 633,948, dated September B, 1.89.9, ,Applicant inea may 24,1899. sean No.' 7178.051. uit man.;

Figure lis a side'vlew of a chair embodying my invention, parts of the, arm of the chair.4

1o being represented in section and parts being shown as broken away. Fig. 2 is'a'side ele-A vation of the chair as knocked down or folded for shipment or storage. Fig. 3 is a top planl View of the horizontal rail of the arm, the

15 View being taken on the line 8 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detached rear View showing the connection betweenrthe swinging back and the spring devices for opzo erating it.

In the drawings, A represents the base or seat-frame of the chair, this part being of a/ny usual or preferred construction and design suitable to receive the seat B. f

z 5 Crepresents the swinging back of the chair,

hinged at its lower end to the seat-frame at c.

D D represent the arms of the chair, they being preferably constructed sopas to extend rearward beyond the swinging back, when in 3o its normal or upright position, thebaclz be-A ing arranged to swing or 'move between the arms. The arms are stationary, and there are spring devices connected with thel swinging back which operate normally to hold the latter 35 in its upright position; and one part of my present invention relates to the spring actuating devices for the swinging-back, the means for adjusting and,controlling such devices, and their peculiar arrangement with relation 4o to the arms of the chair. y 2 and 3 represent, respectively, the front and rear uprights ofthe arm of the chair, between which are arranged the horizontal rails or bars 4. These horizontal parts 4 might 45 be finished so as to constitute the arm-rests proper; but I prefer'the construction represented in the drawings, wherein the uprights 2 and 3 are shown as extending beyond the rails 4, and separate arm-rests 5 are arranged 5o above the rails. f

VEach horizontal rail or bar 4 of the arm is formed with a recess 7, in which is mounted the springlO, that serves to assist in returning the chair-back to its normal position when free to act.

ll indicates a slide-plate which serves to connect the spring l0 with the chair-back'. Its forward end extends into the recess 7 in f the rail 4, and its middle and rear portions are situated in slots or kerfs S and 9, formed, 6o respectively, in the rail 4 and the upper part of the rear upright piece 3. The recess 7 and slot or kerf S in the rail are-covered by astrip or piece of wood 6, secured to the upper faceof the rail, and whichfserves to impart a 6 5 neat and finished appearance 'to the rail and eftectually rhide the mechanism' which is mounted therein. A

The forward end of the springl() is connectedwith a screw-threaded bolt 13 extend. 7o ing forward through the upright 2 and having mounted upon its forward end the nut 14. The nut and screw-bolt. just referred to constitute means for adjusting the tension of the spring, which may thus be regulated 7 5- to suit the weight of the back of the chair or lthe individualpreferences of the user as well as aording means to compensate for any weakening of the spring which may take place through age or other causes. By means 8o of ther arrangement described and shown a longitudinal adjustment of from an inch to au inch and a half may be easily effected. This adjusting mechanism does not impair the 4appearance of the chair, as the1nuts'l4, 85 the only parts which are exposed to View, may be made ornamental in appearance and so constructed as to entirely hide the projecting endy of the bolts or screw-rods 13'. g

I combine with the spring-actu ating devices 9o for the chair-back means for securing the parts in position to give the back any desired inclination, and the means which I employ are preferably the following: 16 represents a screw-threaded rod or bolt supported in the 95 horizontal rail 4 of the arm and extending through a slot 12 in the slide-plate 1l. .The screw-threaded end of this bolt or rod extends outward beyond the Jface ofthe railand has mounted thereon a nut 17, which isadaptroo ed to engage with and clamp the slide-plate 1l and so hold it against longitudinal-movement. The end of the nut 17 might bear directly against the face of the slide-plato 11, but I prefer to interpose between them a bearing-washer 15, as represented in Fig. 3. By tightening the nuts 1T the back may be held at any angle to which it may be adjusted. The ends of the slots 12 may serve as abutments to limit the extent of swing or movement ofthe back in both directions, thus preventing overstraining or breakage of the springs.

The connections between the sliding plates l1 and the chair-back are flexible or pivotal and are so arranged that the back may turn upon them as a fulcrum and be moved into the posit-ion indicated in Fig. 2, occnpyinga position between the arms D and substantially horizontal or parallel with the seat B. These connections when once made are in- Jtended to be permanent, and when it is desired to fold or turn the back into the Fig. 2 position one leaf ofA each hinge cis disconnected, thus leaving the back free to turn upon the hinge or pivotal connections referred to.

The form of connection which I prefer to use is the following: 19 indicates an aperture in the slide-plate 1l near its rear end, and 18 indicates a pintle or piu suitably secured to the frame of the swinging back and projecting laterally therefrom through the hole 19. The advantages incident to this part of my invention will be apparent, permitting the back to be folded down close to the seat without necessitating the breaking of the connection between the back and the springs which actuate it-the connection which it is most difcult to make in assembling the chairso that the chair may be packed for shipment in less space than would be required were the back to remain in upright position.

By constructing the arm of the chair as described, and mounting the spring-actuating mechanism for the back therein in the manner herein set forth, these operative parts are entirely concealed and the artistic features of the chair are not sacrificed, while I am able to secure all of the adjustments desirable in a chair of this kind.

In some forms of chairs, particularly those having swinging backs and spring mechanism for returning the backs to their normal positions, it is found to be very desirable to have the frame-pieces which extend between the uprights 2 and 3 (the rails or bars -I of the construction shown in the drawings) strong and substantial. I secure the necessary solidity and strength of construction and at the same time mount the spring mechanism for moving the back within the bar or rail et by constructing it as shown in the drawings. It will be seen, particularly by reference to Fig. 3, that the bar or rail is practically solid on either side of the recess 7, in which is mounted the spring 10. At the rear it is only weakened by the narrow slit in which the slideplate issituated, and the clamping-nut 17 is arranged in this part of the rail.

The bolt 13, to which the forward end of the springis connected, passes through the solid part of the rail in front of the recess 7.

In some forms of chairs the shape or carving of the uprights 2 makes it impracticable to arrange the adjusting-nuts le on the outside of such uprights, as shown in the drawings, in which event the nuts may be arranged inside of the uprightsin recesses formed therefor.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a chair, the combination ofa swinging back, the upright frame-pieces, 2 and 3, a horizontal rail extending between such upright pieces and having therein a spring-recess and being solid in front of such recess, a spring situated in the said recess of the rail, connections between the spring and the back, and means for adjusting the tension of the spring situated forward of the said solid part of the rail, substantially as set forth.

2. In a chair, the combination of a swinging back` a substantially horizontal rail havingaspring-recess therein, and in rear of such recess a narrow slot or kerf, a spring situated in the said recess, a slide-plate situated in the said slot or kerf, and connecting the spring with the back, and a clamping means for engaging the said slide-plate, in the slotted part of the rail, substantially as set forth.

3. Thecombination of the swinging back, the stationary arms, having longitudinallyrecessed rails, 4, which are solid in front of the recessed portions thereof, the springs, 10, mounted in the recesses of the said rails, connections between the springs and the swinging back, screw-threaded bolts connected with the springs and extending forward through the said solid portions of the rails and adjustin g-n uts on the said screw-bolts, su bstantially as set forth.

4. In a chair, the combination with a swing'- ing back, of the stationary arms having rthe longitudinally-recessed rails, 4, formed with narrow kerfs or slots, 8, in rear of the recesses therein, springs mounted in the recesses of the said rails, thelongitudinally-slotted'slideplates, 1l, connected with the springs and with the chair-back, and situated in the said slots or kerfs, S, screw-threaded bolts or rods Asupported in the rails and extending through the said slots in the slide-plates, and* clampnuts mounted thereon and adapted to be operated by hand, for clamping the slide-plates and holding .the chair-back in positions to which it may be adj usted, substantially as set forth.

5. In a chair, the combination of the swinging back, the arms, B, formed with the substantially horizontal rails, 4, which are formed with recesses, 7, and slots, 8, the springs, 10, l

mounted in the said recesses, the slide-plates, 11, mounted in the said slots, and connecting the springs and the swinging back, the screw- IOO IIO

threaded bolts or rods, I3, to which the springs are connected, and the nuts, 14, upon the lower end to the said frame, ofthe stationary` screw-threaded portions of the said bolts, sub# stantially as set forth 6. In a chair, the combination with the sea tframe and the swinging back hinged at its cured to the back and. extending laterally beyoud tbel side edges of the back and through apertures in the said plates, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.,

S. In a chair, the combination of the seatframe, a swinging back hinged thereto,spring actuating devices for the back,the flexible or pivotal connections between the back and the said spring-actuating devices, the said connections being arranged'substantially as described to serve as a fulcrum upon which the back may turn, when the hinged connection ,with the seat-frame is broken, allowing the back to be folded, and the arms of the chair arranged outside of the side edges of the back, substantially as set forth.

DON J. BIeELovv.

Witnesses:

GEORGE A. HURN, ,HENRY A. CHILDS. 

